


The Masquerade

by PrismaticDelight



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Adam doesn't like these events, F/M, Fae & Fairies, I got the masquerade idea yesterday, It's For a Case, Mason loathes them, Nate is gonna have his mind blown yall, Not too sure what I'm doing, Other Supernaturals, Surina Langford - Freeform, it's a classic, masquerades, send help, welp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-01 09:03:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20812544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrismaticDelight/pseuds/PrismaticDelight
Summary: The Agency is sought for aid by a fae desperate to save his kind as they're being slaughtered and maimed, and to lure the culprit, a grand masquerade is to be thrown for four nights in Wayhaven, surely Unit Bravo can solve the case by then. SURELY. This IS Bravo after all.





	The Masquerade

**Author's Note:**

> Good lord, I hope people like this- I'm deep in Wayhaven now. All I need to do is fanart and then there's absolutely no going back. I don't wanna leave anyway.

It’s only a matter of time before my car craps out on me, and, honestly, I’m not sure if I’m emotionally prepared for it. Financially, I know I’m not, but the fact it’s lasted this long has me fearing it’ll go out in some explosive manner. Hopefully it doesn’t literally explode. Well, actually, I can see that being beneficial if a creature or person trying to kill me landed on it and then it decided to go boom in the night. The protruding roots of the familiar path aren’t helping either, with every bump and drop, another wince leaves me. This car is just as much a part of Unit Bravo, the Agency, as I am; regardless of what the others say about it. They probably have a betting system for its demise. The sad part is, I know I’d be tempted to drop my own cash into it.

As always, I park off to the side, as much as trees and foliage would allow, and shut off the ignition; whispering a silent prayer for when I get back in, that it’ll start backup. It’s been stalling these past couple weeks, and, regardless, car shopping isn’t fun. Taking off the lanyard of my ID from around my rearview mirror, I push the door open and unfold to step out, the pollen in the air tickling my nostrils. A sneeze taunts me as it never quite comes. _Bastard_. Mindful not to slam the door, I stride off to the chain link fence, slipping through without hesitation towards the ever-creepy warehouse. Some useless part of me is enticed by the idea of cutting and removing the vines, clearing rubble and debris, as if appearances mattered out here. I have to tell that part of myself that in doing so, it’d be all the more obvious people came here. Anything they would hope to find wouldn’t be obvious, but even if there was a chance, no matter how slim, I’d rather not be the cause, even if they came here solely to admire the graffiti and post-apocalypse aesthetic.

Having been here a thousand-and-one times, there wouldn’t be my mother waiting in the shadows for me as if she were inspired by Bat-Man. There was an occasion that I caught Adam out here, and on another, Felix and Nate. Neither instance led to anything worth mentioning, yet I admit it was nice to be greeted by someone. Finding where to step has become second nature, from the entrance, I can see the path I always take straight for that metal door I waste no time in passing through. It’s thud as it shuts behind me is no more distracting than nature’s ambiance, swiping my ID into the wood panel. There was a time I’d be amazed by it, feeling like I just became the newest addition to the Avengers. Wonder where that feeling went.

Striding forward before the wall is completely out of the way, I press forward with a destination in mind. I wish it were the training rooms, truth be told. There’s been numerous nights where I came to the warehouse just to use it, especially when my dreams were too vivid for my liking, when I could feel myself bleeding, being ripped open. When I could feel that paralyzing fear. I trained with Adam once, which was exceptionally informative, as he pointed out any errors I made in stances or attacks. My offensive capabilities alone had improved significantly after one session, having to use them when a gargoyle took particular offense to me. No idea what I said, I’ve long since forgotten even though it was only a few months ago, but I chalked it up to the fact it had been cursed and thus in a constant state of wreaking havoc. I trained with Mason once as well, learning I should choose my words wisely as I told him: _“Don’t hold back on me.” _Adam did, Nate especially did, even Felix, it wore on my nerves pretty quickly. Pretty sure my hip is still healing from the bruise, one of many, left behind. No regrets, if that matters.

I used to get anxious whenever I came here, butterflies and tingles and all, knowing the tea waited for me behind a closed door. To be even more specific, knowing _Nate_ was waiting for me. Actually, no, that still makes me anxious, ridiculously enough. By now, it’s been a year, give or take, since we solidified everything between us. In knowing that, it still feels like a dream. There’re times I wonder if it’s a good idea to be dating him, a vampire, someone who will never die, at least, not like a human. I wondered if he was truly happy being stuck with a “fragile” being of mortality that can will only see so many sunrises and night-falls before the clock runs out. I still don’t have the courage to ask. I don’t want to plant the seeds of doubt. Holding them within my grasp is dangerous enough.

My feet slow from their stride, a pace that would once make my legs burn hardly tickled them, the door within reach. Voices behind it are muffled; Rebecca’s, Felix’s, Mason’s, Adam’s…Nate’s. Each of them finds a way to keep me steady, but it’s his that keeps me centered and focused, if one can believe that. If I stay by his side, everything will make sense in due time. Controlling my breath, I reach out and open the door, pulling myself inside into the living room. The light-apple fragrance as familiar as Adam’s gentle nod of his head, greeting me with a: “Welcome back.” It’s as familiar as the rich brown hair bobbing into view as Nate craned around the high back of his chosen armchair, his face lighting up like a thousand suns at the sight of me.

“There’s the woman of the hour,” He grins at me, beckoning over his head with his hand for me to come closer. As if I need to be called forth. His gravity alone tugs me near, so I don’t hesitate. What I wouldn’t do to throw myself onto his lap.

With clothes on. No strip-teasing.

_ …Would Nate even be into that_—

I take the seat in the armchair beside him, flashing a smile, mostly to quell the heated thoughts before they can become rampant. And, as usual, Rebecca took her place at the “head” of it all by the table’s far end, which I suppose is fitting. Every now and again, I find myself dancing with the fleeting emotion of disbelief that I truly am part of a team of vampires, surrounded on the daily by supernatural creatures all seeking to live a life of their own. I can only speculate what the Echo World must be like if they’re content, or at least comfortable, with the notion of living in the mundane, surrounded by a species that may never warm up to them. If humans, collectively, knew of the supernatural living among them…I, unfortunately, expect the very worst. We’ve always been fearful of what we don’t understand or can’t control.

“Detective,” A sharp voice calls, just loud enough to be commanding, but gentle enough to be familiar. I jerk my head up, my eyes landing on Adam, the source of the voice. “Is everything alright?” I glance about the room, not realizing I had been sitting here in silence, their looks expectant.

“Yes, everything’s good. Peachy.” I nod, shifting my hips into the seat, folding my arms against my stomach. “Sorry, what are we here for this time?” I direct to Rebecca. I almost hate how much I look like her. I have nothing from my father, except maybe something insignificant like the shape of his nose or the bow of my upper-lip. Everything about me foretells my relation to Rebecca from our blue eyes, to our red hair.

“This is an interesting task, so I’ll cut right to the chase.” Her tone is firm, nothing short of demanding attention. From her lap, she withdraws a manila folder. If I got a nickel for every time I’ve seen one, I would most certainly be a millionaire. Felix, who I’ve just now realized has been _suspiciously _quiet, scoots forward on the sofa he laid along, propping his chin on the armrest closest to my mother. Rebecca leaned in and set the folder on the table, opening it for my view. “This man has personally come to the Agency asking for help.

A fae, by the looks of it, ethereal in beauty, as if he stepped out of a high-fantasy novel with high cheekbones and hollowed cheeks. Even within the small picture, printed as if meant to be hidden in a wallet, his eyes are sharp and green like summer fields. His hair looks iridescent almost, at least in the photo.

“…He _wants_ the Agency to help?” I ask incredulously, looking between Rebecca and Nate.

“It does happen every now again, someone coming to us outside the Agency,” Rebecca begins thoughtfully. “Give the circumstances, he wants to protect his kind. The fae are quickly dwindling in numbers.”

“How quickly?”

“The average peaked at around one-hundred total every five years.” Adam answers from his position, standing beside the sofa Felix drapes himself along.

“…I’m going to assume that’s rapid for them.” I sigh.

“Yes, we’ve been keeping an eye on them as of recently. Their lifespans span over a thousand years, however, they’re just as easy to kill as a human.” His eyes flit to me, softening briefly, meaningfully, as he waited for my comment. Was he worried he had offended me? 

“Eh, I’ve come to accept we’re just fragile little things around you guys. Not much I can do about that.” As annoying as it is, but at least the others don’t treat me as if I’m made of glass anymore. Then again, Mason never did that. “If you’ve known about it, why haven’t you done anything? They clearly need help.”

Nate clears his throat. “If we went in guns blazing, metaphorically or otherwise, it would cause tension. Fae, in general, with numerous exceptions—”

“Like Elidor,” Felix interjects.

He nods, but otherwise continues as if he weren’t interrupted to begin with, “—are somewhat… wary, if you will. They understand the rules of course, and they happily oblige. However, like any one else, they know what may happen if the rules are ignored and they harm others.” The moment of mentioning, my thoughts whirl back to what Rebecca had shown me, the cages, the unparalleled suffering creatures faced for killing others, humans and supernaturals alike. I almost shudder. I understand the reasoning for it, but that doesn’t mean I exactly approve of the punishments. “None of us want to jeopardize the relationship the Agency has with others, and we decided it would be best to find a way to approach this situation carefully, quietly.”

“Unit Alpha almost got this one, y’know.” Felix throws himself up with a quiet grunt, situating himself so his arms can stretch out along the back of the sofa, yet his legs folded like a pretzel. The contrast looked awkward. “But they’re not exactly… fond of doing stealth or recon or whatever. Prime example is way back in New Zealand.”

“Uh, what happened there?” I ask slowly, catching a soft sigh leaving Rebecca’s lips.

“Let’s leave it at this: it was a hassle cleaning it up.” She carefully elaborated, making Mason scoff.

“Understatement.” He whispers. The comment felt more to himself than the rest of us, so I dismiss it shortly after hearing it.

Afterall, one of the most important questions still needed to be asked: “Then _how_ are we doing this?” My words must’ve struck something sour, because Adam stiffens _considerably_. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him react in such a way. His muscles pressed into the sleeves of his t-shirt, and I’m concerned the fabric will tear completely. His brows lowered, knitting together somewhere in between for deep creases. My head tilts slightly, I could’ve sworn I just saw this… haunted expression pass through his eyes. It’s gone before I can focus on it anyway. Mason, on the other hand; is he wishing for death? With a stare focused on nothing in particular, smoke wafting from between his lips, I get the feeling he wants nothing more than to crawl into the deepest, darkest hole for the next millennium.

“It…Requires going to a masquerade.” Nate answered slowly, a glimmer illuminating Felix’s eyes.

“We get to twirl the night away, milady.” His brows wiggle before he glances at Adam. Rebecca hides a hint of amusement, drumming her fingers against her folded lap. Looking between Mason and Adam, I understand why they seem just so thrilled about this mission; they don’t dance. Fuck, I don’t even know how to dance. I didn’t dance during prom or homecoming either, all I did was slide side to side or stand by the snack table like a guard dog. Why socialize when I could be eating? I didn’t have dinner beforehand because I knew the food would be good, and I was right. Except the only thing I can remember gorging myself on were the brownies. Sweet chocolaty carb overload. For both occasions, no one asked me to go with them, but I didn’t see an issue with going on my own anyway, wearing the dullest black dress my cheap ass could find. Okay, not cheap. More like: it was last minute and I hadn’t seen a reason to get all dressed up. Didn’t do my hair, no makeup. My favorite flats were trashed so I wore my most comfortable pair of shoes, sneakers. I loved heels, or at least the look of them, but those things are very conducive to a situation requiring running or anything similar. Then again…They _can_ make fantastic weapons.

“I don’t… exactly have anything formal to wear.” I hear myself admit quietly, clearing my throat as I shift in my seat now that the attention was put on me. Felix gasps so sharply I expected him to forget how to breathe, his eyes snapping to Rebecca.

“We can go shopping—” He says, Mason groaning.

“Oh god, please, no.”

“Relax, grumps, you can stay in your corner. I don’t think anyone would appreciate you scaring off the customers anyway.” With a hand dismissively batted, he doesn’t miss a beat in continuing. “I won’t make her wear, like, a rainbow polka dot dress or something.”

“Does…does that exist?” Nate whispers with morbid curiosity flashing in his eyes.

“If it does, I’ll burn it.” I reply.

“Thank you.” Adam muttered, seemingly trying to force himself to relax. His shoulders must hurt by now.

“My point is-!” Felix huffs, “I need a new suit anyway, and I don’t have a mask anyway, so I can help Surina.” While I don’t voice it…I wonder how much help he can be fashion-wise. Probably not fair for me to think, I’m not exactly the most knowledgeable in fashion myself. I can barely keep up with trends. A conflicted Rebecca stares the male down until she relents with a quiet:

“Alright,” and a slight smile. For all of a second before it disappears. It was nice while it lasted.

“You wear rainbow socks,” Mason comments, dragging himself over in such a manner that it convinces me walking took far too much energy. “Why do you want to go-” He grimaces, “Dress shopping?”

“I don’t bully you for aesthetics, don’t bully me for mine.” Felix ordered, narrowing his eyes, devoid of malice.

“…You’re not even capable of ordering a dog to stop begging for food, let alone tell it to sit.”

“I’m feeling attacked right now.”

I glance to Nate beside me, expecting anything but the fond smile he wears on his face. I wanted to comment on it, but Rebecca coughs to silence the two before things can go on for too long. “Surina, you know how we work, the goal is to blend in as much as possible, mingle if you have to. The Unit will keep tabs on you throughout the night,”

I open my mouth, but she merely holds up a hand with an apologetic smile easing her features. “I know you can take care of yourself, trust me. However, even the very best can be overwhelmed, and there will be plenty of opportunities where they will do just that. While you may be resistant to more… intangible abilities, physically, it’s still possible. I ask you keep your guard up the entire time.”

“Right…Okay, I can do that, but what are we looking for exactly?” As I asked, Rebecca’s lips dip into a troubled frown, lacing her fingers against her lap.

“That, unfortunately, we don’t know. Our fae in question hasn’t been able to find the culprit. Whomever they are, I suspect they’ve found…inspiration in Murphy, in the sense they leave the bodies behind.” I drop my eyes onto the folder, wondering if there were pictures. I can handle looking at dead bodies just fine, but I don’t think I want to see a repeat of mangled corpses, especially if there’s a chance it could be worse. If they’ve found “inspiration” in Murphy, there’s the possibility they seek to do it better; the bodies might be unrecognizable. “The masquerade will last for four consecutive nights, any longer, and he fears worst case scenarios. He has faith you all be able to solve this before then.”

“When does it start?” I then ask, watching her rise onto her feet.

“Tomorrow at eight. Until then, do whatever you need to prepare.” Rebecca’s eyes linger on me prior to walking away from her seat. “That includes learning how to dance.”

_ Fuck._

***

After I say my goodbyes from the team, Felix follows in tow as we leave the warehouse and back to my car. I can tell he’s wishing to make a comment on the poor thing, but I shoot a look of warning before he can open his mouth while we cross the fence. He holds up his hands in silent surrender, a coy smile tugging his lips. I flop myself inside behind the wheel, the car rocking at the motions. “Don’t slam it-” I start to say, but Felix does just that as he got in, making me wince.

“Oh…whoops, I’m sorry, Detective.” Felix murmurs, patting his door affectionately.

“If you want me to have a new one so badly, have the Agency give me a new one.” I turn on the ignition, thankfully, it doesn’t stall, and tug my seat-belt on.

“I would do so in a heartbeat if I had any kind of pull around here.” He nodded as if to reaffirm his words. I raise a brow but decide not to comment further, instead focusing on navigating the car back through the woods and to town.

“Can I ask about the whole…shopping thing?” His body recoils in the seat as we go over a particularly thick root, practically counting the seconds my shocks have left with each passing bump and drop. The universe is out to destroy my car.

“Well…Mason wouldn’t do it even you bribed him, and Adam… Well, you saw how he reacted. And we already knew the mission.” Felix waved a hand as he spoke, fixing his floppy hat against his hair.

“He looked like he was ready to throw himself onto active train tracks,” I snort, the image oddly amusing.

“I doubt it’d kill him though. It’d probably bounce right off, like those glitches in video games.” The two of us broke into immediate laughter at the sheer absurdity of the idea, but it sounded plausible enough that if someone told me it happened, I’d believe it. Our laughs die down as the car rolls back onto the road leading back into town, the uneven path smoothing out much to my delight. “I guess Nate could’ve gone with you, but that’d ruin it.”

“Ruin what, exactly?” Had I missed something during the laughing? I look over at Felix, who is more interested in watching the view go by.

“C’mon, think about it.” Then his face turns to me, a grin on his face, nudging my arm with his elbow over the console. “Has he ever seen you in a dress? Do you get all…fancy or something when you go on dates?”

My face flushes, heat crawling along the back of my neck, grip tightening around the wheel. “Uh, well… We haven’t exactly gone on…a date.”

Felix is silent, staring, almost gawking before his hand is on my shoulder like he needed to stabilize himself while the world spun around him. “Okay, _wow_, I wasn’t ready for that. Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“We go on missions together...!” I protest, shrugging his hand off.

“Yeah, with _all _of us there!” The hand falls from my shoulder to fling aimlessly ahead. “And, no, stealing all of two seconds while trying to stay alive doesn’t count!” His shoulders slump considerably, resting his cheek against his hand held up by his elbow on the door. “I can’t believe it, Suavewell hasn’t taken you on a proper date.”

“_Suavewell_?” What the fuck was that supposed to be, a nickname? I thought Natey was bad…

“Operation Mindblown is a go, it’s official. We’re gonna make sure that, when he sees you, he can’t pick his jaw off the floor.”

“…Do I dare ask why you care so much?”

“Because it’s fun,” Felix answered with a smile flashed my way. “Besides…It’d be nice to see him react like that, to someone. The way he looks at objects, material possessions, it can be funny sometimes. Especially when it comes to books.” The smile gradually fades as he spoke, taking on an uncharacteristically forlorn expression as he stared out ahead. “When you’ve lived long enough, there isn’t much to be happy about anymore, much less look forward to. You could see the sunrise everywhere in the world, but they start to look the same after the first five times. But when he looks at you, it’s like he’s seeing it all for the first time. So…I figured we should give him something he’s never seen before, something truly new; you all dressed up.”

A sinking feeling settled in my stomach, heart fluttering as he spoke. I hadn’t thought it possible for Felix to make such an expression, to say such words. It reminded me how lonely the life of an immortal, a vampire, truly is. I began to open my mouth, seeking to lift the heavy mood when Felix brightens, throwing out his hand from his cheek and ahead of us.

“What about that place? Do they have suits and dresses?” He asks eagerly, the grin plastered back on his face.

“Probably…?” I shrug, having never gone in the town’s boutique before, not even while I was in school, because this place as a bit pricey for my limited budget at the time. I sense that sentiment remains. Fearing Felix might actually try to steer the car if I don’t drive it over myself, I pull over towards the curb, rolling up to the sidewalk’s corner right in front of the glass-front store. Mannequins stand tall in the windows, adorned with jewelry and glitzy dresses, ballgowns and mermaid gowns alike. I already regret everything. As soon as the car has stopped, Felix is throwing himself out and hurrying across the concrete to the entrance.

It’s tempting to drive away while the gas is still on. Sighing at the idea, and this whole situation in general, I force myself to shut the car off and climb out. I sincerely hope I don’t see anyone I know while inside.

The door opens with a ringing bell, the interior wide and spacious, circular racks of dresses loosely form aisles to weave through, off-white walls sectioned off with ornate Greek inspired columns that reach the ceiling, arching overhead to form beams connecting two sides of the building. Dresses and suits hang from metal rods between each column. I nearly bash my hip into a glossy table’s edge smothered in jewelry, the walls stuffed with labeled drawers; cuff-links, handkerchiefs, earrings, gloves, and far more. I didn’t think it would be this complicated.

“Hey, Detective, check this out!” Felix calls from the back of the store, a sign nailed overhead an archway labelled “dressing rooms”. Just as I make my way over, he jumps out from around the other side, dressed in a silver sequin suit. The blazer, the pants… The only thing not sequin is his shirt and tie. The light painfully reflects, causing me to flinch and squint my eyes.

“Well that’s…sparkly.” I force out, his hands setting on his hips.

“I know right? Talk about eye catching.”

“It’s _Twilight_ all over again,”

“What’s that?” He hums, looking himself over with approval.

“…Sparkly vampires and abusive boyfriends.” His head snaps up, mortified in an instant, eyes tracing back to the dressing rooms.

“Okay, I’ll just put this back then. Adam would probably get mad at me anyway.” Shuffling back to one of the handful of enclosed rooms, I decide to shuffle my way along the walls, glossing over the various dresses. Too white, too exposed, too frilly. Some of them could pass as wedding dresses, others just didn’t seem appropriate for a masquerade, much less a prom. I don’t exactly have a preference, or type of style I’m pretty plain in my day to day wear. Even now, I opt for jeans and a t-shirt with a hoodie or leather jacket for the cooler seasons. I could wear my uniform and no one would question it. I suppose as I don’t look like a living doll, I’d be fine.

Felix comes into sight through my peripherals, looking through to the other side as he nears me, likely searching for a suit since the sequin would be too much. “Orange tux.” I saw aloud, earning his attention that snaps to me.

“…Orange?”

“Yeah, at the other side, on one of the racks, I think I saw an orange tux. You’d look nice in it.”

“Oh, flattery will get you everywhere, Detective,” He teased. I roll my eyes but a smile formed on my face before I could fight it, watching him stroll across the store with purpose. It’s when he’s far enough that I sigh. Suddenly, I wouldn’t mind Tina being here, she could give me some idea of what to wear. Although, I don’t think I can handle her and Felix in the same building. Fleeting interaction at the station is enough.

I turn away from the wall once reaching the end towards the windows, scouring through what hangs on one of the racks. The more I looked, the more I came to decide on. I want a long dress, despite what the mission entails and knowing I’ll have to run or get physical, I don’t want to show any more skin than what’s above my waist. I’m comfortable wearing shorts, I’ll wear a bikini to the pool. But a knee length dress for a formal event… Doesn’t sit right with me, despite knowing it is acceptable. Maybe I’m still haunted from freshman year’s homecoming, surrounded by too many girls in too-short dresses. _Way too short. _Short sleeves, it’d make grabbing me a little hard, keep me cool, a bit less fabric to get in the way. High collars are itchy, even if they’re cute in the process. Slit skirt would make running easier, but again, I’m not sure if it would be approved of. I do want to attempt to make nice with the host that’s requesting our help.

And then my eyes land on it. It lays on the floor, hidden within the center of the rack, masked by other clothing. I pick it up carefully from the floor, finding where it begins to hold it out in front of me. Wine red chiffon bunches horizontally, I assume it lays somewhere around the shoulders; or maybe off of them, after some shifting. Silk in matching color drapes to the floor, embroidered filigree around the breasts and down the front to a soft point where the naval would be.

“Whoa,” Felix breathes, popping into sight in front of me, his eyes looking over the dress. “Please tell me you’re gonna try it on.”

“Did you try the suit?” I ask hurriedly, dragging my eyes off the dress to watch him nod.

“Yup! And you won’t get to see it until tomorrow.” He grins, holding the suit on one arm, he ushers me to the dressing room with his free hand. “Now go try!” Sounding way too excited for my liking, I shake my head but carry on to do so. When I enter one of the vacant rooms, I hear another voice break into the store after the bell sounds, a woman. Felix sounds as though he breaks into an easy conversation. I hope it’s the owner who ran out for lunch.

I shrug my clothes off setting them on the bench bolted to the wall, unzipping the dress at the back. I didn’t notice how deep the back was cut, plunging to what’ll likely be the middle of my back. Good thing I have long hair. Still, when stepping into it, and awkwardly zipping it up, it fits like a glove, reaching the floor easily. If I wear heels, it shouldn’t be a problem. I guess. It feels impractical but, honestly, I don’t feel like looking too much and this is a dress I can wear multiple times. If I’m buying, I’m buying one for all occasions. I face the mirror above the bench, looking myself over. But, as always, my eyes are drawn to my neck, that stupid scar left behind. I _could _just cover it with makeup…

A gentle series of knocks makes me jolt away from the door, tensing instinctively. “Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Said Felix. I can hear him smiling, I swear.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” My attempt to reassure probably aren’t the most convincing but it’ll do.

“Could I see what the dress looks like?”

“No way, you won’t let me see the tux.” I snort, his sigh dramatic and hard.

“Ugh, no fair. Fine, fine.”

I change back into my clothes and meet Felix outside the dressing rooms, greeted by a short chubby blonde woman and a beaming smile that’s sure to give Nate a run for his money. She apologizes profusely for being gone while we were browsing, leaving us to quickly assure her it was fine. At two in the afternoon, I doubt she got much business at this hour, especially on weekdays. Her demeanor lifted to Felix’s orange tux, expressing gratitude that someone appreciated a suit that wasn’t just in the standard black. I didn’t understand what the deal was, but I played along. When it came for me to make my purchase, she didn’t waste a second to hurry from around the register and to the table of jewelry up front, returning in moments with something shimmering in her hands. Quick to explain the rubies and diamonds were fake, thank the heavens, —I can’t imagine she’d have something like that just laying in a drawer anyway—she offered the collared necklace to go along with the dress. I tried to deny it, but Felix gave a meaningful nudge of my arm, so I had to say otherwise.

In doing so, as if forgetting until now, he asks about whether or not she has any masks, something that took the woman some time to think upon. She dashes into the backroom with a “one moment” hurried out. Felix and I glance then shrug at each other while listening to the rummaging and muttering until, before long, she returns with a tattered box in her arms to set on the register counter. “The kids at the high school made these for their prom last year, masquerade theme. They didn’t want to get rid of them, so I took them off their hands. Please, please, take whatever you like, no charge.” Felix finds himself an orange and gold mask with feathers glued against its left side of matching colors, with the addition of white. I felt it better to just not ask why. I managed to find myself a burgundy velvet mask with braided gold trim along the bottom, the right side decorated by crimson and gold flowers, scattered tiny jewels paving the way to the other side with matching design. How flashy.

I sure as hell wasn’t going to buy heels, so after our purchases, and Felix begging me to let him tag along, I drove through town to Tina’s apartment complex. For the first time in my life, it thrilled me to know someone had the same shoe size as me. Especially when it saves me money. Tina didn’t let me explain why I needed them, and delightfully shoved a pair of ankle strap pumps. She wasn’t going to even bless me with wearing kitten heels. I blame it on the cold that has her hacking up a lung currently, it must be making her more ruthless than ever. Somehow, despite her flushed face and wild hair, dressed in the baggiest clothes she could find, Felix threw out a couple flirtatious lines that I won’t bother repeating; mostly because I didn’t pay attention until I hauled my ass out, dragging him by his collar to follow.

The word at the station was, after dropping Felix off at café—not sure if I should’ve, now that I think about it—, some out of town rich guy moved into town and was throwing a party for anyone and everyone to attend, a welcoming party so he could meet everyone. _It’s as good of a cover story, I suppose. _Even though it meant having to sprint to my office to avoid Douglas laying eyes on me. Had I known saving him from thralls would have him making googly eyes all that time ago, I wouldn’t have done it.

***

For some reason, I agreed to let Felix teach me how to dance this evening, when I should’ve gone to Nate. He insisted it’s all about “keeping the surprise”, and, honestly, I couldn’t exactly say no to the idea of being the one to catch Nate on his toes. I tried to eat my takeout as slow as humanely possible to avoid the inevitable, but here I am, stumbling and staggering over my feet clad in foreign heels, doing everything in my power to not crush Felix’s feet. It doesn’t help that he’s been making jokes about being a newborn deer or something this entire time. During the entire thirty minutes we’ve been doing this.

“Ugh, okay, I get it, I have two left feet!” I snap finally while shoving Felix back in a huff. He catches himself easily, like I never pushed to begin with. “I haven’t had years to practice like you guys.”

“I’m sorry,” He frowned, but it’s replaced instantly with a wide but easy smile. “I can’t help it, telling jokes like that, I was hoping it’d ease everything but obviously not. However, there’s a bit of…erm, blame on your end too.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” My eyes narrow, and I see him choose his words carefully.

“You’re stiff, tense. You’re watching your feet instead of looking at your partner, too deep in your head.” Felix states this all quite plainly, the grin never wavering.

“How am I _not _supposed to look at my feet? How am I _not_ supposed to be tense?” I fling my hands about in ever growing annoyance, as if I’m trying to throw the emotion at Felix in hopes he’ll feel what I do. However, he merely catches my hands, easing me back to himself.

“The purpose of dancing, no matter the type or environment, or music, is to bring people closer. And with this, all you have to do is follow my lead, or Nate’s come tomorrow. You have to trust him to guide you such as he’ll trust you’ll follow.” One hand takes mine to set it on his shoulder before he finds my shoulder blade, the other holding my hand gently in his. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course, I do,” I answer without hesitation.

“Do you trust Nate?”

“Always,”

“Then take a deep breath, keep your eyes on mine, don’t think, okay? Let me lead, and it’ll come naturally. I promise.” I shouldn’t doubt him, not with all the practice and experience he has. So, I listen to his advice, I take a couple steadying breaths which help my shoulders relax, my spine straighten but not stiffen. I focus my attention to those sincere amber eyes. Felix steps forward, so I step back. He steps to the side, and I follow, stepping forward when he moves back. Despite never being warned, when the first steps repeat and we shift to turn, I somehow manage to follow with relative ease. I feel as though he was testing me just then, to see if I actually trusted him as I claimed. After the turn, his smile is bright and full of pride, our steps continuing, unwavering.

“See? You’re doing beautifully, Surina.”

“I…I guess I am, yeah.” Bashful under the compliments, I shake my head, biting back a smile.

“Wanna try the underarm spin?”

“Now that sounds like you’re inviting me to break some toes.” I snort. “This is enough for me.”

“Wait until you see the Viennese waltz,” With a final spin, we slow, withdrawing from one another, The hand Felix holds is taken to his lips, although he doesn’t quite kiss it. “But that, milady, is how you waltz. Simple, timeless, romantic.” I chuckle before I can think to stop it, my hand released gently.

“It was fun, y’know, when I wasn’t frustrated.”

“So…Like life in general?” Shaking my head, I trot to the sofa to flop upon, feet grateful to be relieved of pressure. I’m dreading how long I’ll have to wear them tomorrow. The aching pain in my heels is settled only when I let myself imagine dancing with Nate like I had done with Felix. It feels like it’d be more intimate than anything else I could expose myself to, and we’ve never danced together. Unless I count the time I caught him busting some wonderful Dad-moves one evening he stayed over. He may not like technology, but he seemed to enjoy music.

“Thank you, by the way…For spending the time to do this.” Felix’s smile is wistful at my words, shrugging his shoulders.

“You don’t need to thank me for that, I wanted to do it. Even though you almost chucked you shoe at me, I would do it again. I think Operation Mindblown will be a success.”

“I think just me being in a dress is enough, everything else is overkill.”

“Which is why we’re doing it!”

Tomorrow night, we’ll all be dressed up, masked and anonymous, on the hunt for a creature we don’t even know the appearance of. Hell, this might not work to begin with. The culprit could sense it’s a trap for all I know. Well, I’m not above running barefoot or throwing my shoes at people’s heads if it gets the job done. I suppose, if nothing else, I’ll get to dance with Nate…And maybe, as Felix claims, this “Operation Mindblown” will actually work.


End file.
